Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-03-09

that in the seasonal meeting, when asked q
woman If 1T were her son who sat next to her,
making profession of his faith. she made no
answer; but after moment, trying to control
her emotion, she burst into tears said With
in myself she need not tell me the story. 1t is
the old story OF a prodlgal got back. "The
dead is alive again, and the lost is found" Oh,
how many families there are that rejoice to-
gether to-day.
These Christians during the rest of the year.
perhaps, will not know much about each
other. You go in one circle of society. these go
in some other circle of society, and this one
travels in that path, and this one the other
path; but to-day we all come on one platform,
one cross. and we gaze upon one deat tn anguish.
1t seems TO me this morning not like a church
but like great family circle. and we Join
hands around the cross of Christ, and we say:
"One Lord. one faith, one baptism, one cross,
one Christ. one doxoiogy, one heaven" While
l stand here it seems to me as If this com mum
ion table, which Is only seven or eight feet
long and three or four feet wide, widens until
all the Christians of our own denomi nation
can sit at it; and still the table widens until
ali the Christians in this land of all names
and denominations come and sit at 1t; and still
the table widens until 1t bridges the sea, and
Christians on the other side OF the Atlantic
come and sit at it; and still that table widens,
until the redeemed o. HEAVIER mingle in the
communion: Church militant;church triumph
ant.
zone army ofthe living God
To His command we bow;
Part of the host have crossed the flood
And part are crossing now."
Again, my friends, this is an absorbing scene
because IL arouses so many precious memories.
We look back and remember the days of our
childhood when, long before we knew the
meaning OF the bread and the wine. we sat in
the side pews on Sacramento days, or in the
galleries, and looked as our fathers. mothers
and older brothers and sisters sat at the COM
munion. Or, five sat with them. we pulled at
mothers dress and said: ~ hat does that
mean? What is that in the cup? What is that
on the platte" o., yes; we remember those
har n m ri a ia WIG hot
day than on any other day. We remember
how mother stood, and without saying one
tears. Oh, the dear old soul. They have gone.
But until the day OF our death we vii associate
this holy ordinance with their memory. And
when our work on earth is done we will just
90 up and sit down beside them in the heaven
y church, as used to sit beside them in the
earthly church, and then we will drink ne W
wine In our Fathers kingdom.
behold the saints, beloved of God.
Washed are their robes in Jesus's blood,
Brighter than angels, 10. they shine,
Their glories splendid and sublime"
remark again: This scene is tender to-day
because it is a confessional You and remem-
Der the time when If a man had charged us with
anything like imperfection or wrong doing. we
would have thrown ourselves back on our hon.
Or; and said: '.Yeu don't know who you are
talking to. shall resent such an insult to m y
honor and integrity We do not feel that way
to-day. As we gaze upon the sacrifice OF Christ,
and think of what we have been and what WI
I've DONE our hearts melt within us. We see
enc dying accused Tor our sin, and we hear
Him in his dying words begging for our SER
dtred. Of this short life we have begrudged
God even fragment Alas! Alas Some or us
have lived out the most of our days, and yet we
have rendered TO God no earnest service. Sad,
thai We could gase SO maltreated Him on
whom all our hopes depend. Oh, my brethren
and sisters In Christ 10 day Join hands with
me In confession before Christ If there be
any place more humble than another. let us
taAe 1t. Ii there be any prayer more inportu-
be any con fession more bitter than another, let
us LOW weep H. out.
well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut his glories in,
When ChiiSt, the mighty Maker died
For man, the creatures SIM
Once more: Thisis tender and absorbing
SC lie because it is anticipative. My brethren,
we are not always going to stay here. This is
not our home. This is only the vestibule of
the church in which, at last, we expect to en-
ter. Alter awhile our names will be taken off
the shurch books, or there will be mark in
the margin TO indicate that we have gone up to
II betser church and to higher communion.-
Our Father is not going to let His children re-
maiu in the dust. The grave Is no place for us
to stay IN. The trumpet shall sound and the
dead SHALL rise" The LORD shall descend from
heaven with shout and the voice of the arch
which they put us to our last slumber here
must get whittier. Oh, the reunion of patriarchs
and APOSTLES. and prophets, and OF AL our glori-
fed Kindred, and of that great multitude that
no man C n number" Our SORROWS over
Our journey ended. 1t will be as when kings
banquet, AUD just the snow OF winter
melts alid the fields Will brighten in the gIori.
Gus springtiine, SO it will be with ali these co
sorrows ri earth; they will be melted away AT
last before the warm sunshine of heaven.
While present these thoughts this morning
does it not seem that heaven comes very near
TO u.s. as though our friends, whom we thought
a great way OIL, are notiu the distance but close
by? You have sometimes come down to nv
err at nightfsii. and you have been surprised
how easily you could hear voices across that
river. You shouted over to the other side OF
the river and they shouted back. II is said
that when Ga0rge Whitefield preached in
Third street. in Phiiadei phia. one evening time,
his voice WAS heard clear across to the II ew
Jersey shor~ When l was little while chap
lain in thu Army, reInemb Der how at even
TIDE we could easily hear the voices of the pick
cts across The Potomac. just when they were
using ordinary tones. and as we come to- day
and stand by The river OF Jordan that divides
us from our friends who gone, it seems to
me staud on one bank and they stand on
the other; and il is only u narrow stream and
our voices go and their voices come Hark /.
Hush hear distinctly what they say: These
al e they who came out Of great tribulaion,
and had their robes washed ana made white in
the blood OF the Lamb" Still the voice com 81
across the waters. and hear: 1--WE hunger no
more, we th1rs. no more, neither shall The sun
light On us, nor any he at, for the Lamb which
is in the midst of the throne leads US to living
fountains OF water, and God wipeth away VII
tears from our eyes"